White Day
by Project 0506
Summary: This White Day Lee's mission is to make sure every woman is happy on White day. But to do this for the two he cares about the most, he'll have to sacrifice his own feelings.


A/n: White day in Japan is a time when boys give chocolate to their loved ones (more specifically the girls who gave them chocolate on Valentine's Day). Seven is considered a lucky number (Seven gods of luck)

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Rock Lee loved any opportunity to make people happy, and today, March 14, just happened to provide the perfect opportunity. The sun was shining, birds were singing and love was in the air. What more could he want? He strode down the street, giant sack slung over his shoulder like some sort of green-spandex clad, three months late Santa.

A sniffle, a tear in an eye... target acquired. Lee went right up to the Ichiraku stand girl as she was opening the ramen stand for business.

"A wonderful morning nee-san!" She looked up quickly, not hearing him come up.

"Oh, good morning." She wiped her eyes. "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen. Today's special is..."

"I'm sorry but I'm not here for food this morning. I am on a mission to spread happiness! What would your name be?"

"Um... Ayame..."

"Ayame!" With a flourish he pulled out a heart shaped box from his bag and scribbled her name in the card attached to it. "Happy White Day Ayame-san!"

She watched him go in more than a little shock. She opened the box he had thrust in her hands. Inside lay seven pieces of chocolate in the shape of roses, definitely home-made. She smiled and popped one in her mouth, savoring the creamy taste. She was definitely going to make these last all day. She skipped back inside and started cooking with a fervor. Ichiraku served the best ramen in its history that day, and every parton would testify that the 'ramen girl' was happier than they had ever seen her.

A little old lady selling in the market smiled brightly at the box of chocolate she found when she opened her stall. Three nurses went home happy from their all night shifts, boxes of chocolate addressed to them clutched tightly.

Shizune-san blinked in surprise at the box with her name on it she found on her desk after fetching the hokage's breakfast. She poked it experimentally, as if it would disappear if she picked it up.

Kiba slammed his head against the wall in frustration. He didn't have enough money to get Hinata chocolate so he had decided to make his own... with a rather unpleasant outcome. He pumped Lee's arm up and down until the taijutsu-nin felt it would fly off when Lee disposed of the charred chocolate and replaced them with some of the ones he made.

A blond, cursing men and everything male, paused midway through a swear when a box of chocolate was thrust into her hands and a bowl-headed boy wished her Happy White Day.

Inuzuka Hana's mouth fell open when Gai's student handed her chocolate. That in itself was not really surprising, she had heard he was the sentimental type. What shocked her though was the fact that he knew one of her partners was female! AND he gave her a dog biscuit wrapped in a red bow, saying that he read that dogs couldn't eat chocolate. Toboe and Higae snarled in distaste while Akai happily chewed on her biscuit. _Hana... I like that human..._

Lee had dodge a rain of kunai and several snake-beds before he could come close to where Anko trained. She smirked at him until he presented her with her very own box of chocolate. "... there's something wrong with that boy..." she muttered as he skipped away. Then again, she had to admit, he made some pretty damn good chocolate.

Lee had to stop by his house for a refill twice that day. Luckily he had made plenty of extras. Wherever there was a tear shed from heartbreak, Lee was there to present the unhappy lady with chocolate, and occasionally a bout of poetry, if she was really upset. It was nearly sunset before he had finished his self-imposed task, successfully preventing the need to run laps around the village on his hands with weights attached. Now he only had one more task.

_My lovely Sakura-chan and darling Tenten-chan will love these!_ Ino-san had helped him arrange them, two bouquets of red and white roses, with purple carnations and baby's breath. It didn't take long to find them, and just his luck, they were together!

"We really got stuck with the jerks, didn't we?"

Sakura nodded, hands clenched into fists. "I punched him, the idiot didn't even know what I was angry about!"

"Neji didn't remember what day it was. When I asked him, he just looked at me strangely and asked if I wanted to train. TRAIN! On White Day! He didn't remember my last birthday or Christmas either!"

"Well at least Naruto remembered Christmas, I'll give him that. But he didn't remember my birthday. I'm so mad at him, I don't want to speak to him for the rest of the year at least!"

"Right!" Tenten brushed at her tears. "What are we doing! This is white day! We're two very attractive girls, we shouldn't let our inconsiderate teammates ruin it for us! I say we go out on the town and we have a good time WITHOUT Naruto and Neji."

"I agree!" There was a long stretch of silence. "Any ideas?"

"...no..."

"Wanna just stay right here?"

Sigh. "Might as well. You know, Ino-pig got chocolate from Shikamaru and Chouji? Chouji didn't even eat a single one. And Kiba and Shino both spent the night up making chocolate for Hinata. Even Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei got Kurenai-sensei flowers."

"Yeah, Gai-sensei bought chocolate for Tsunade-sama because he said she probably wouldn't get any from anybody else. So it's not men in general that's the problem."

"No... it's just the two we..." Sakura's lip started to tremble. "Darn it! I told myself I wasn't going to cry!"

Lee's shoulders slumped. He hated that his two favorite girls were unhappy but at least he would be able to cheer them up, right?

"I hate him. I hate him! I hate him! That stuck up, self absorbed..."

"I'm never going to give him another present ever again, that idiotic, juvenile..."

"He's probably gay anyway!"

"... Maybe..."

Lee's spirits drooped even further. Slowly he came out of his hiding place in the shadows. "Tenten-chan? Sakura-chan?"

"Hey Lee."

"Evening Lee-san." Sakura's eyes lit up when she saw the flowers. "Are those for us?"

He scuffed his toe in the dirt. "I'm sorry, about Neji and Naruto..."

Tenten scoffed. "It's not your fault Lee."

Lee swallowed, and did the hardest thing he had ever done. "No, I'm sorry. They had wanted me to deliver these this morning before you left... but... there was this squirrel and I got distracted and by the time I remembered, you had already left home." He grinned and handed them the bouquets. "Please forgive me for being late! And do not let Neji-kun hurt me since I was supposed to deliver them twelve hours ago!"

"Wha... Naru... Naruto-kun got me these!"

"No way! Neji?" Tenten nearly dropped her flowers. "Neji-kun bought these! It must have cost a fortune!"

Lee grinned even wider. "I guess they would have, yes. I guess they must have been saving... for... months to get these for you. Because you are special to them, and they do not want to see you cry!"

"Oh! And I punched him! I have to find him!"

"Thanks so much for doing this Lee! You're really sweet!" The girls rushed off giggling. Unseen to them, Lee bent down and slipped of the weights from his ankles.

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Neji froze when he saw the green blur hurtling towards them. Naruto took the hint and fell into defensive position. Faster than their eyes could follow, Lee appeared and stuffed a box of chocolate in each of their hands.

"It's White Day. All you need to do is say you're welcome and try not to offend them or say anything stupid. Yes you did it. Yes it was expensive. And yes, they were worth it, got all that?"

"What the hell are you talking about Bushy-brows?"

"Do not screw up. Do not make them cry, or I'll kill you both." With that he disappeared in another flash of green, leaving a baffled Neji and Naruto in his wake."

"He's your teammate..."

Neji glared. "Not even I understand him sometimes."

Seconds later, their missing teammates came rushing into the clearing. Both boys tensed, ready for another tirade.

"Naruto!" Sakura grabbed him by the shoulders and planted a kiss firmly on his mouth.

"HMMGLL!" Naruto squirmed with lack of oxygen before Sakura finally let him go.

"You remembered! And you got me chocolate too?"

"Um...yes?"

"Neji I'm so sorry I called you all those names. Oh, they must have been so expensive!"

Neji had to blink a couple of times before remembering Lee's threat. "...they were..."

"But!" Naruto piped up. "You were worth it!" The girls grabbed their respective partners in tight hugs. Neji glanced at Naruto over Tenten's head. He shrugged. Who knew?

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He watched them hug, but had to leave before he started to cry. His girls were happy. And that was all that mattered.

The training ground was deserted tonight, all the shinobi out to dinner with their special kunoichi. That left him to train undisturbed. He kicked at the training dummy. Harder and harder he kicked, willing everything to just go away and leave him empty, emotionless.

One powerful kick sent the dummy's head flying.

"You know, you really are a freak."

Anko caught the speeding head easily. "Why the hell didn't you just tell them you got it for them?"

"Anko-san!" The smile immediately covered his face. "What a wonderful night to..."

"Cut the crap And stop that fake grinning, it's driving me crazy. Sit down boy." Once he was seated on a log next to her she shoved the box of chocolates at him. "Here."

"But Anko-san! Those are yours. I made them for..."

"For me and every other woman in Konoha who didn't get a White Day present, I know. I followed you. Blondie's right, you're a complete whack-job. Now eat one, I dunno if their poisoned or something. You could be trying to kill every woman you can't get a date with."

"... Anko-san..." Lee glanced in the box. "You already ate one. If it was poisoned then you'd already be dead..."

"Do I have to force it down your throat boy?" She glared and snapped.

"No M'am!" He grabbed one and stuffed it in his mouth. Anko nodded and took a second piece.

"A spandex-freak who can cook... now what woman wouldn't want that?"

He swallowed, and she handed him another.

"Women are shallow boy. They spend half their time chasing after men who don't give a damn then when their hearts get broken, they go running to the best friend to cry on their shoulder. Next day they're after the bastard again, leaving the friend in the dust. What can you do?"

"... are you trying to cheer me up?"

"Nope, merely pointing out facts. You did all the damned cheer-business already today. Done?" He nodded, and she handed him a third. "Just don't beat yourself up about it. If I were trying to cheer you up then I'd tell ya to be patient and your girl will realize what a catch you are and come running into your arms. But this is the real world. And that crap only happens in books. Listen up boy, you keep this up and they're gonna end up marrying bastard-boy one and two."

"So... what should I do?"

"This is rich, never thought I'd be giving dating advice." Moonlight sparkled off her purple hair. "My advice, die a bachelor. Or at least forget about them. Especially if they're attracted to girly hair and loud-mouthed nimrods. Find yourself someone else."

"... oh..." Lee leaned back and stared up at the stars. "Anko-san? Are you hungry? I heard several jounin say they were too afraid to ask you..."

Anko's dark eyes lit up in mirth. She quickly made a hand seal and immediately a large snake wrapped itself around him. "There's a reason why they're afraid boy. Even if I feel sorry for you and say yes, I'm still at least nine years older than you."

"It's not a date." Nervously he eyed the snake slithering about his ankles. Everything he knew about snakes said he should stay very, very still. "No woman should have to eat alone on white day..."

"Well, freakish and old-fashioned... well fine, since you're the only one dumb enough to ask me, sure. But I'm paying." With a wave of her hand, Anko dismissed her pet, setting Lee much more at ease. He crossed his arms.

"Absolutely not!"

"Boy, after all the ingredients for the chocolate, and those flowers you went and wasted, you're broke. You couldn't afford it anyway."

"I'll cook. I won't allow a woman to pay for her own meal on White Day. It's isn't manly!"

"Fine, fine, whatever. Just stop talking."

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Genma's senbon fell from his mouth and Asuma swallowed the end of his cigarrette. There were several chokes and sputters as Lee and Anko walked side-by-side. Anko snickered at the disbelieving faces.

"Oi Freak, we coulda taken the less popular route ya know. You're never gonna hear the end of this."

"Um.. Lee?" Tenten and Neji stood staring at him. "What are you..."

He flashed his trademark smile. "Such a gorgeous night this is Tenten-chan! I'm sorry I cannot stay and talk with you but I have pressing dinner plans!" With that he reached over and grabbed Anko's hand. "I will see you later!"

Anko threw back her head and laughed as Lee practically dragged her off. She could have sworn she heard a thud as somebody in the dinner crowd fainted. "Well you're not stupid boy, I'll give you that. You just need your head examined. Definitely insane."

He finally smiled, a real one this time. "Then we are very much alike!"

"That we are boy, that we certainly are..."


End file.
